Iwanaga Yamatsumi
:"Enduring as the earth." - Illuminate Void Iwanaga Yamatsumi (山津見巌長持, Yamatsumi Iwanaga, lit. "God of Mountains, Eternal Earth"), is powerful and ancient spiritual entity and currently one of the heads of the Jūsanseiza as a member of the Quadrumvirate. She is considered by the Commander-General of Soul Society to be extremely dangerous, with "flee on sight" orders issued to any Shinigami who encounters her. Two and a half millennia ago she supposedly aided Yamamoto Genryuusai in the construction of Soul Society. Sometime after its creation she destroyed her former ties, by nearly killing Yamamoto in a surprise attack, and launching an attack that nearly decimated the newly formed heaven. Were it not for the timely intervention of Unohana Retsu and fellow Captains, she would have succeeded, though Yamamoto still bears the scars of that battle today - most notable the ones above his eyes. Appearance Iwanaga has the appearance of a youthful woman with dark red eyes and black hair that frames her face. Her hair is tied together at the back of her head with a large red ribbon with black hemming, and she has two bangs bound by an intricately designed pearl colored barrate. She wears a wide-collared red and black dress with three belt-like buttons, with distinct white seams, opened at the neck to reveal a white-cuffed shirt with a black vest underneath. On her arms are detached black sleeves with red inlining, cuffed just above her elbow. At her waist she wears two brown belts, to secure her overly large red dress. The dress itself has red ankle-long coat-tails with dark grey inlining, worn over a smaller black skirt underneath. A part of her dress hangs over the front part of her body with the taijitu symbol embroidered on its front, held in place by two sets of small chain that link to the coat-tails. On her feet she wears a pair of cuffed black knee high boots. In her hands, she can be seen carrying a rod gohei with many paper seals attached in streamers. Personality Iwanaga Yamatsumi, while largely known by the Jusanseiza is a cold and calculating mysterious force whose origins are shrouded in secrecy. Seemingly gifted with an unnatural spiritual power, her most well known characteristic is her resolve. No member of the Jusanseiza, perhaps even all of Soul Society possesses such raw determination that its like an aura, that one can see, feel or touch. Perhaps it is the very earth that she represents, but when she commits herself to an action, she does so wholly. Her spiritual energy and conviction are intertwined with another that whenever she does commit herself it is with the totality of her being. The essence of her power literally augments her capability to accomplish anything she sets out for herself. Her presence alone is enough to sweep the fates of others into her own, as she commands awe, and respect from those around her. It is this trait that has allowed her to remain as one of the Quadrumvirate of the Jusanseiza. Despite their differences, all the members will unify under her leadership. In person, she can be very cold, blunt, and at times disgustingly honest. She treats her subordinates harshly, demands absolute obediance, and punishes those who think otherwise. However, she does take her position as leader seriously, and does not consider those underneath her command as mere pawns to be sacrificed needlessly, she firmly believes her subordinates are a precious resource that should not be squandered. Iwanaga demonstrates the mannerisms of one born of royalty, mostly evident by her speech. She is very formal, calm and collected while speaking, and in the midst of battle addresses her opponent with pleasantries, even as they die at her feet. She is very slow to anger, let alone exhibit outward bursts of emotion, and tends to question the motives and dreams of her opponents. In many ways she finds some measure of amusement in the struggles "lesser beings" go through to achieve their goals, which in her perspective ultimately don't change anything. Her pragmatic views on life give her a sense of nihilism in some regards, though she remains somewhat philosophical as she constantly questions the nature of the Soul King, and other such beings. She believes that when one obtains in essence true godhood such as that either attained or inherited by the Soul King, they lose the ability to act of themselves and affect the world around them in meaningful ways beyond maintaining a balance, and must instead contend with being observers. Her ultimate goal however is the complete and total destruction of Soul Society. None have been able to determine the exact reason as to why, and she's explained that Soul Society has never wronged her directly. Though she remarks that its very existence is an affront that must be thoroughly and brutally crushed. Only when she is discussing her desire to destroy Soul Society does her demeanor change to one of unbridled fury, an almost righteous anger that has not once been quelled since she joined the Jusanseiza. At such times she disappears for periods of time, and when she returns the smell of blood and death accompany the very air around her. History Synopsis *'Turn Back the Pendulum: Sengoku' Inventions Garb of Godly Restraint: When one considers the overwhelming power that Iwanaga possesses, it is frightening to realize that the clothes Iwanaga wears, is not for fashion, but instead, intended to seal the majority of her power away, and keep her at a level where she can better control them and not accidentily kill her allies. Gohei Rod: This simple wooden rod has attached on it paper seals in an array of streamers. Aside from its spiritual construction, this weapon has no other unique properties attributed to it. Talisman Seals: These small paper seals are seperate from her Gohei rod, and are in fact a unique item developed by her and distrubuted to the members of the Jusanseiza. Each "tag" carries an one-time effect, generally a Kido spell that she inscribes on the talisman. The versatility of this item is matched only by its convience as it is the primary method of magical combat that Iwanaga employs. While the spells are powerful, they are a far cry from her original power, which in of itself demonstrates just how powerful she truly is. Powers & Abilities :"Truth is eternal. We'll know the veracity of your claims upon your death." - Stated prior to her betrayal of Soul Society and battle with Genryuusai Yamamoto. Ancient Intellect: Iwanaga is an exceptionally intelligent being, possessing over nine-thousand years of knowledge and experience. She has mastered nearly all known langauges, amassed vast wealths of detailed information on the interworkings of not only Soul Society but of other realms and is privy to knowledge that is otherwise unknown or even forgotten. She is an exceptional strategist and tactician, demonstrating her capabilities during the Warring States Era, a period of war that spanned eons before the creation of Soul Society. She helped lead entire armies to victory, securing precious victories. Her acumen has only grown, evident by her position as one of the Quadrumvirate, as she along with the others guide direct the movements of the Jusanseiza. *'Master Strategist & Tactician:' Iwanaga is a genius in the arts of warfare, capable of devising plans and contingencies very quickly and executing them with extreme precision and brutality. She is no stranger to the horrors of warfare, and will use any means necessary to complete her objective, whether it be razing an entire city to distract her opponents, or to enlist their captured enemies and own criminals, and use them as part of her ever-growing force. Even while she was working with Yamamoto her methods were notoriously brutal. It was said that after launching an attack against an enemy warring clan, she murdered the entire family, and displayed their bodies as a warning against others. *'Master Manipulator:' While many consider Iwanaga to be quite skillful at manipulating others to do what she wants, this is more of a product of her own presence than any deliberate act on her part. When she speaks, others listen, they feel compelled to obey. This is not out of respect or fear of her power, but something so deep, not even Iwanaga is fully aware of it. Her affinity for earth does not extend to just earthen materials. In the five elements theory, earth is regarded as the central point, quintessential, existing as a core aspect of all things in the physical and spiritual world. Her mere presence resonates with the earth element within them. And because hers is so potent, so overwhelming, it beckons and compels others, and they respond in kind. Her very words are power, and they mold the feeble energies of those around her. *'Master Scientist/Inventor:' Iwanaga's tremendous intelligence, has extended to more than just simple history, and base knowledge. Over the years she has studied the spiritual arts, as well as the physical, delving into the realms of science. When one can spend half a millennia in perfect ones understanding of the sciences, it is easy to become a master in it. Though unlike minds like Urahara or even those of her organization she has focused her efforts onto creating magical constructs, such as talismans. Overwhelming Spiritual Power: Being one of the oldest Shinigami alive, older than even Yamamoto himself, Iwanaga possesses an incredibly ancient and powerful Reiatsu, capable of reshaping the very earth around her. With such a dense reiatsu, even captains are forced to their knees, giving rise to her moniker as Iwanaga-hime as all who face her kneel before her very power. Her spiritual energy is so dense and heavy that it doesn't follow any conventional classification, leading many members of the Jusanseiza to speculate if it even is spiritual energy, let alone her race. Its only rumored that she's a Shinigami for the fact that she possesses knowledge and uses the four forms of Shinigami combat. This is because Iwanaga possess a very rare type of spiritual energy. Normally it is determined by the alignment of the spiritrons that compose a spiritual entities body and their latent spiritual reserves. In the majority of circumstances, the spiritrons that compose such a being are not perfectly aligned. Many desires, and wills are competing against each other for supremacy, so these imperfections or inner wars within the mind, weaken the whole. However all the spiritrons that compose her form are aligned in a particular direction. Compared to a normal Shinigami or Hollow she possess far greater levels of strength, durability, with her willpower being umatched. Conversely, this weakens her use of Kido, which requires a more flexible framework of spiritual energy, however this is not the case if the Kido is already aligned with their spiritual type. Evident by her name, Iwanaga's spiritual energy is aligned with Earth. Immense Strength: Iwanaga demonstrates tremendous physical strength, almost to the point of being ridiculous. The full extent of her prowess hast yet to be shone in the past millennia, however, she was reputed to have, with a flick of her wrist demolish an entire fortress generated from the concussive force of her simple gesture. She is easily capable of tearing apart Arrancar with her bare hands, though even that is unnecessary as the destructive force produced in the wake of her attacks is more than sufficient enough to cause pure unadulterated destruction. She is capable of swatting aside powerful destructive spells and shattering high level binding spell barriers with no visible strain. Immense Durability: While the full extent of this ability has yet to be shown, no form of attack has, according to the members of the Jusanseiza, ever dealt any lasting damage to Iwanaga. The phrase, "Iwanaga is eternal." is commonly said, attributing to her tremendous capability of sustaining punishment without it even affecting her own abilities. She weathered through the combined assaults of the entire Gotei 13 during her betrayal, before she was forced to retreat. Immense Endurance: Evident by her battle against the Gotei 13 two millennia ago, it can be assumed that Iwanaga has incredible endurance. She is able to fight endlessly without tiring it seems, as her bodies functions differ from the average spiritual being. She claims to draw nourishment from the earth itself and so as long as they are near, she will never tire. Another attribute is her age, she still appears the same as she did eons ago, and is possibly one of the longest lived Shinigami aside from the Soul King. Iwanaga proves her name, as she appears to be immortal, as she seemingly ignores poisons and diseases, and if her claim holds true, requires no external forms of nourishment. Master Swordsmanship Specialist: As a demonstration of her level of mastery, Iwanaga uses a simple wooden rod gohei with many paper seals attached in streamers. There is nothing special about this item, and it is certainly not her Zanpakutou. This is due to the sheer level of her physical strength and masterful skill, that when swung are capable of sheering through an Arrancar's Hierro with ease. Her use of this weapon is actually limiting her abilities, and weakening her as a whole in terms of her swordsmanship. Hakuda Master: It can be assumed that this method of combat while less used is even more dangerous than her swordsmanship. Without any sort of weapon limiting her fearsome power, she would cause untold levels of destruction in the surrounding landscape should she ever fight. Her knowledge in Hakuda is quite immense given that she's had several times in comparison some older Shinigami to perfect her skill. Hoho Master: Iwanaga is considered a master in all of the Hoho techniques, capable of extraordinary feats of acrobatics, agility, and speed. It should be noted that while in contact with the ground, Iwanaga's speed is nearly unmatched, likely a result of her earth affinity. However despite her prowess in this skill, she is very much a defensive fighter, preferring to remain stationary whenever possible. Kidō Master: Before the creation of Soul Society and by extension the Shino Academy, Kido was a very secret art, with even fewer masters who were largely unwilling to part with their secrets. Also, with the constant warfare, knowledge and skilled use of Kido was seen as the mark of a true master, given that they could fight far more efficiently than any lone swordsman, often from the safety of their fortresses. For this reason Iwanaga has primarily trained in the use of Kido since she was a child, with much of her spells being unique inventions of her own design. In the past two millennia her knowledge has only increased since its introduction. Advanced spells are now commonplace, and through the subsequent capture and torture of Shinigami over the years, she has been able to perfect them, often using said prisoners as practice. As her affinity lies in the earth element, her ability to use the more diverse elemental attacks is severely reduced - to the point where she is simply unable to cast them. However as her element IS earth, she can create and "earth-fire" such as magma or "earth-wind" such as sand, and use these variants of spells to devastating effect. She is also quite skilled in the use of binding spells, often substituting some of the magical component with earth as well. She is well versed in the knowledge of nearly all Kido spells, and is very quickly able to discern not only a spells composition, but its very spiritual nature, and identify the caster, even if it is at a later date. Fundamental Magic Doctrines Earth Magic Chihiraishin Kuusou (国避雷針空想, lit. "Earth and Lightning Vision"): Iwanaga connects her spiritual power with that of the earth, and uses this ability to scan an area for a person or object. It is currently unknown how this ability works, as despite its name it seems to detect those not even in contact with the ground. Iwanaga's range for this ability is immense, stretching across vast distances. She has been known to scan for opponents nearly over a hundred miles away, though even she hints that this is not the limit to her abilities. Tsuchihana (土花, lit. "Flowering Earth"): Iwanaga creates a massive assortment of stone spikes that explode from the ground in order to smash and pierce her opponents. The speed of the spikes is noted to be very quick, about as fast as if she were swinging a weapon in her hand, and their penetration power is noted to easily pierce the Hierro of Espada. The size is quite large about the size of Las Noches itself at its heighest peak, and resembles a flower in its shape, hence the technique name. *'Kusabanayari' (草花槍, lit. "Flowering Spear"): This variant allows Iwanaga to create a small scale version of her Tsuchihana. She uses this spell to cause a series of stone spikes to shoot upwards from the ground to pierce her targets. *'Kyuushihana' (弓矢花, lit. "Bow and Arrow Flower"): A variant of the Kusabanayari, she instead condenses her spiritual power into the form of an earth spear. This form of attack is not limited to the earth, and can appear mid-air, allowing her greatly flexibility in dealing with aerial opponents. Hogasha no Gaia (保護者のガイア, lit. "Gaia's Guardian"): Iwanaga is able to manipulate existing stone or simply create stone with her own spiritual power, but this power is used to create a series of stone slabs that are used to protect her. The earth barriers are extremely durable, and able to withstand very powerful forms of attacks. Only high-level Kido attacks are able to damage these barriers let alone break through them. Furthermore their formation is incredibly quick, as Iwanaga's power generaly saturates the very air around her, they can form instantly in response to an attack. *'Senjukannon' (千手観音, lit. "Thousand-Armed Goddess of Mercy"): Perhaps one of Iwanaga's most fearsome techniques, as she is able to use her Earth Magic to construct a seemingly endless army of clay soldiers. Individually they possess the same basic fighting skills of a seated officer, however since they are completely expendable, and can regenerate so as long as there is enough earth around to reform them, they are a formidable army at Iwanaga's command. Evident by the name, Iwanga is capable of constructing a thousand of these soldiers at one time. Tsuchimegami no Tanjou (地女神の誕生, lit. "Birth of the Earth Goddess"): One of Iwanaga's most powerful and destructive techniques, she uses her earth affinity to manipulate the earth around her, tearing building sized chunks of rock, forest, anything affixed to the ground and causing the orbiting debri to collaspe and compress into a large sphere with her spiritual pressure. The technique while incredibly destructive is only the precursor to her more dangerous and forbidden techniques. *'Tsuchimegami no Kourui' (地女神の紅涙, lit. "Earth Goddess Tears"): Iwanaga crushes the "Earth Goddess" and rains debri over a much wider area. The damage is not as concentrated as "Wrath of the Earth Goddess" however it is used to cripple a large army, as opposed a single or very powerful opponent. *'Tsuchimegami no Doki' (地女神の怒気, lit. "Wrath of the Earth Goddess"): A technique said to have destroyed an entire army of Hollows, Iwanaga causes the "Tsuchimegami" to quickly rise into the air, and then hurl it from the heavens like a meteor. The destructive power of this technique is legendary, and of epic proportions, so much so that is considered a forbidden technique and one of the powers "sealed" while she wears the "Garb of Godly Restraint". Quotes *(To Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto) "In the battlefield, there are only alllies and enemies, and enemies are to be thoroughly and brutally trampled on by any means necessary." Trivia *Iwanaga's theme song is Heat by Clark "Plazmataz" Powell. *Iwanaga is the second character I've made whose appearance is based on a Touhou character, and she is also the second female character I've made who leads a criminal organization. *Its speculated that Iwanaga is a Shinigami or perhaps even a Sōzōshin, given her enormous spiritual pressure. *Iwanaga does not appear to have a Zanpakutou, unlike most spiritual races. Behind the Scenes *Iwanaga draws her name from the princess Iwanaga, the sister to Konohanasakuya-hime, and daughter of Yamatsuchi. In japanese mythology it is said that Ninigi married the sister Sakuya for her prosperity and in turn was cursed by Yamatsuchi to living short lives and becoming mortals along with their descendants. The First emperor of Japan is said to be the great-grandson of this union. *Iwanaga's age represents the meaning of the number 9 in chinese culture, which was the greatest of the single digits, and historically associated with Emperor. Additionaly the number 9 can also mean "longlasting" a reference to Iwanaga who was said to be have been blessed with "eternity". *Iwanaga's appearance is based on Reimu Hakurei from Touhou Project. Category:Illuminate Void Category:Gravity Force Category:Female Category:Fanon Character